Career profile · SOC 29-1123

Physical Therapists

Assess, plan, organize, and participate in rehabilitative programs that improve mobility, relieve pain, increase strength, and improve or correct disabling conditions resulting from disease or injury.

Median salary
$101,020
per year
Growth outlook
Faster Than Average
BLS 10-yr
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
AI exposure
2.6/10
automation risk

Salary distribution (US)

Real salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The p10–p90 spread tells you more than the median alone.

Bottom 10%
$65,120
25th %ile
$79,200
Median
$101,020
75th %ile
$116,870
Top 10%
$131,990

Top skills

Active Listening Speaking Critical Thinking Social Perceptiveness Complex Problem Solving Service Orientation Monitoring Judgment and Decision Making Coordination Instructing

Knowledge you'll build

  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Therapy and Counseling
  • Biology
  • Psychology
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • English Language
  • Education and Training
  • Chemistry

A day in the life

You arrive at the clinic and your first patient is a high school athlete recovering from a torn ACL—you guide them through strengthening exercises, monitor their form, and adjust the rehab plan based on their progress. By mid-morning you are working with a stroke survivor, helping them relearn how to walk using parallel bars and balance boards while motivating them through frustration. Afternoons include evaluating new patients, writing treatment plans, and maybe visiting a patient's home to assess whether grab bars or ramps are needed. The job is physically hands-on and emotionally rewarding because you literally watch people regain abilities they thought they had lost.

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